


A Word For That

by queer_khaleesi



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Asexual Carlos, Asexual Cecil, Asexual Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-18 05:46:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2337413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queer_khaleesi/pseuds/queer_khaleesi





	A Word For That

Carlos knew it would have to come up eventually. He and Cecil had been dating for a few weeks already, and each date had been getting more and more intimate. On the first date, they had kissed, and things had only been heating up more and more since then. He could keep up with it at first--holding hands, hugs, cuddling, all of that was fine. He could even tolerate a little bit of making out, so long as Cecil's hands didn't drift too far down south. Cecil would have to want sex soon. All of Carlos' old boyfriends had started to want sex around this time. At least this wouldn't be the first time he would have to come out; he was used to the routine by now.

There was going to be a date tonight. Big Rico's Pizza. It had been Cecil's idea--something about having to meet the monthly requirement for eating there. Cecil was going to drive to Carlos' lab and they were going to walk to the restaurant. Carlos heard Cecil's car pull up outside the lab. Carlos tried to steady his breathing. It wasn't his first time to come out, but that wasn't diminishing the anxiety as much as he had hoped it would. Maybe he just needed to eat. He heard a knock on the door, and he went to open the door. There stood Cecil, wearing a metallic blue vest over a skin-tight black shirt and bleach white pants. He was smiling, and Carlos filled with anxiety once more.

"Hi, Carlos," Cecil said jovially. His eyes gleamed. "Are you ready?"

It would be easier to rip the bandaid off now and come out before the date. But Carlos couldn't find himself to do it. He wanted one more date with Cecil, just in case Cecil took it all the wrong way, like so many old boyfriends had. "Yes," he said finally.

Cecil reached for his hand, and Carlos gave it to him, interlocking his fingers in his. They walked under the desert moonlight, stars shining up above like water droplets. Big Rico's Pizza was crowded that night--it seemed everyone in town wanted to reach their monthly quota. Still, they managed to get a table. Cecil didn't even glance at the menu, and ordered a large half-cheese, half-red onion pizza on their speciality green, wheat-free crust to share. Carlos swallowed nervously as the minutes ticked by. He was able to make idle conversation with Cecil, but he kept wanting to confess.

Their pizza arrived after exactly twenty-two minutes and forty-seven seconds. Cecil immediately reached for his first slice while Carlos stared wordlessly at the pizza. He supposed it would be now or never.

"Cecil . . . ," he said slowly, barely making eye contact with him. "I . . . I have to tell you something."

Cecil put his pizza down slowly and swallowed. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. "You can tell me. You can tell me  _anything_."

"I don't disbelieve that." He let out a small sigh. "Cecil . . . I, hm . . . I don't want to mess this up."

"Mess what up?"

Carlos let out a dry chuckle. "Everything. Our relationship, mostly. Because, you see, Cecil, I really like you. Probably more than any other guy I've ever dated."

"Oh, Carlos!" A shade of crimson flowered on Cecil's cheeks. "I feel the same. I don't want to seem to hasty, but--"

"Cecil, I'm sorry to interrupt, but can I please finish?" Carlos wondered if that came out more harshly than he intended. Cecil simply nodded and gestured for Carlos to continue, so he was probably okay. "I . . ." Another sigh. It had never been this hard before. The words had always seemed to come when he needed them. But now? _You can do it,_ he told himself. _You've done it before. Just breathe it out._ "Cecil, I'm asexual."

Cecil's face softened for a moment before his eyebrows creased together in what looked like confusion. "What?" he asked, a little softly. He didn't sound angry, but he didn't exactly sound happy either.

"I'm asexual. I'm sorry, Cecil."

"Why are you sorry? Carlos, what is that?"

"What do you mean, 'what is that?' What is . . . asexuality?"

Cecil nodded.

Carlos hadn't thought he'd have to explain it to Cecil. When he'd come out before, most people had known what asexuality was--and more often than not, there had been several rude and unfunny jokes--so Carlos wasn't exactly prepared to explain it to Cecil. But he was a scientist; explaining things that weren't easily explained was one of the things scientists always had to do. "What it means is I don't feel sexual attraction. Like, I've never looked at anyone and thought, 'I would love to have sex with that person.' That doesn't mean I will _never_ have sex, but honestly, I'm a bit repulsed by it. I mean, I suppose if I met the right guy and we get married or something I might have sex with him once or twice, but I don't think it's likely. I'm sorry, Cecil, but I can't have sex with you. At least, not for a very, very long time."

Cecil blinked once or twice and reclined in his chair. His mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes shifted back and forth a little bit, like he was trying to process this information. Carlos absentmindedly chewed on his bottom lip. Cecil wasn't saying anything. That couldn't be good. "Oh," Cecil said simply. "Oh," he said again, a little bit happier this time. "That's all?" He let out a chuckle. "That's like me! I'm like that, too! I had no idea there was a word for that. That's really, really neat!"

Carlos let out a gasp of excitement. "Really?" he asked. "Really? You're like that, too?"

"Yes, I am. Is this all you were so worried about?"

"Yes. Most guys I've dated left me after I came out. I didn't want that to happen with you."

"I would never leave you. Over something like that. I would never leave you over something like that." Cecil smirked and looked back at his pizza. "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"

"No, no," Carlos said before realizing . . . "Actually, yes." He reached his hand across the table to take Cecil's. "I'm extremely grateful for you. You're a blessing."

Cecil blushed immensely and covered his face with his other hand. " _Carlos_!" he sang. "I'm grateful for you, too. I'm grateful to have someone as perfect as you in my life."

"I'm not perfect."

"To me, you are. You are flawless. Indescribably beautiful. Perfect."

Cecil thought of him as perfect. Even with all his flaws, he thought of him as perfect. Even now that he knew him as more than that scientist with the perfect hair, he thought of him as perfect. "You're the perfect one," Carlos said.

" _Carlos_!"

"Now, come on. Let's eat up before the cheese gains sentient life. Again," he added with a chuckle.


End file.
